A: My go-to is the Buddha bowl. I could drink the peanut sauce. Any of the salads are always a
go-to. Or the Thai burrito, it’s so good.

Q: Any other regular spots?

A: Katalina’s (1105 Pennsylvania Ave.) is to me the best go-to brunch. It’s a tiny hole in the
wall. The best time to go is when it’s warm because they’ve got a patio, but their breakfast
burritos and breakfast tacos are the best.

Q: If price is no object?

A: I’ll either be at Basi Italia (811 Highland St.) or Alana’s (2333 N. High St.). With Basi,
everything is incredibly fresh. It feels special; it feels romantic. I would never go with a group;
it’s too intimate. As for Alana’s, I like to go for a date. Everything’s unique, special, local —
it’s whatever she feels like making, and it’s all good.

A: I feel like Columbus has struggled with really authentic Chinese food, but Helen’s Asian
Kitchen (1070 E. Dublin-Granville Rd.) is in every sense of the word an authentic Chinese
experience. It’s in an old strip club. All of the food is amazing. It’s the only place in Columbus
I know of where you can get xiaolong buns — I call them soup buns. They’re fantastic.

The other new place is the Pearl (641 N. High St.). For a midprice point, I don’t think anyone
in Columbus has done it better. You have to get the fried chicken with greens and sticky buns. I’m
a Southerner, and their greens are better than mine.